The district administration has started the process of finalising the base rate for land acquisition, for the Surat-Chennai greenfield highway in several talukas — Nashik, Sinnar, Niphad and parts of Dindori as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has got environmental clearance.
Nashik collecter Gangatharan D said the process to finalize the land rate at these places would be completed by March-end. After that, the land would be acquired, instead of being directly purchased from farmers.
The talukas where the decision will be announced soon are Nashik, Sinnar, Niphad and parts of Dindori. The ‘award’ given in case of land acquisition will be presented to the farmers, and the money would be transferred instantaneously through the electronic mode of transfer.
In all, the 122.1 km stretch of the highway will pass through six talukas of the district. The road would the district from Rakshasbhuwan in Surgana and travels through Peth, Dindori, Nashik, and Niphad before exiting the district at Kahandalwadi in Sinnar taluka. Gangatharan D said the environment clearance for Surgana, Peth and some parts of the Dindori taluka areas was awaited.
“The compensation to be given to the farmers is being evaluated. The compensation will be on par with the current market conditions. The difference in land acquisition for this project and that of the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway is that the land here would be acquired and not bought through private negotiations,” said the collector.
The collector pointed out that the farmers in the case of the Samruddhi Expressway (when the direct purchase route was taken) did not have the right to contest the decisions in court. However, in the case of the Surat-Chennai project, they can contest the decision in a court of law.
The land rates would be drawn on various factors that have been stipulated in the condition of the Land Acquisition Act and the process for the same is being carried out.
